Action Max

In 1985, they gave us Teddy Ruxpin, and then a year later we were treated to Lazer tag. Yes, friends, World of Wonder (WoW) was on a roll, and the 80s were their playground.

Unfortunately, 1987 arrived.

On paper, Action Max seemed like a pretty good idea. Heck, it was Wii… 25 years ahead of its time. Pop the tape into your VCR, and all of a sudden you’re interacting with the game. Aim your light gun at the screen, pull the trigger, and defeat the bad guys. Nice.

But then we actually played it.

Since it was on a VHS tape, they game was always the same. Every time. Play it twice, and you had the whole thing memorized. And that wicked cool light gun? Well, sometimes it worked.

As for the game titles, well they certainly seemed cool: “.38 Ambush Alley”, “Hydrosub: 2021”, and “The Rescue of Pops Ghostly” were among the highlights. But Action Max crashed and burned worse than Julian Wells.

In less than a year, things got so bad the WoW declared bankruptcy, and Action Max was sent out to pasture without so much as a pat on the back.

So, fellow 80s Children, the next time you pick up your Wii remote and mow down the baddies in Call of Duty: Black Ops, take a moment to pause, bow your head, and offer a moment of silence for our dear, departed Action Max.

…because it was just that (un-)awesome.

We ♥ Action Max.

~ by weheart80s on June 28, 2011.